The use of computers, especially personal computers (PCs), is widespread. The computing power of the PC, whether coupled to a network or operating as a stand-alone device, has increased significantly as new computer designs move into production. Central processing units have become faster and more complex with each new generation of PC. Memory chips have increased in both capacity and speed. A wide variety of input/output (I/O) devices with various performance capabilities may be included in a PC. Examples of I/O devices include keyboards, pointing devices, scanners, disk drives, CD-ROM drives, printers, display monitors, local area network (LAN) adapters, FAX/modem boards, sound boards, etc. I/O devices are produced by many different manufacturers and come in various models with varying operational characteristics. The number of distinct combinations of components in a PC is very large.
In order for the components of a PC to function together properly and optimally, computer system configuration information is provided to a microprocessor during the power-on self-test (POST) and system initialization routines executed when a PC is first powered-up or reset. The system configuration information is used by the microprocessor to initialize the various components of the PC. Device registers are set, device parameters are loaded, interrupt vectors are created, etc. Computer operating system and/or other system management software is then configured in accordance with the system configuration information.
Because of the wide variety of system components available in today's PCs, a battery-powered complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) random access memory (RAM) is included to retain the computer system configuration information when the PC is powered-down. Typically, the CMOS RAM is part of the computer system's real-time clock and calendar chip. In the event the system configuration information stored in the CMOS RAM is lost, certain configuration default values are provided by the read-only memory (ROM) basic input/output service (BIOS) chip. However, unlike configuration information stored in the CMOS RAM, these default values are not customized to the particular configuration of the PC. The PC then functions poorly, and a user must reprogram the configuration CMOS RAM. Properly reprogramming the CMOS RAM with the lost system configuration parameters can be difficult, especially for individuals with little or no technical background.
Manufacturers have attempted to overcome the problems associated with lost computer system configuration information by providing highly reliable batteries to power the volatile CMOS RAM. Additionally, certain components, such as peripheral add-ins with plug-and-play capability, include a non-volatile ROM memory for storing that particular component's configuration parameters. However, it can be appreciated that there is a significant need for an improved method and apparatus for storage of computer system configuration information.